In a powerful new piece of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever fan art, Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa is imagined watching over Letitia Wright's Shuri. Serving as the sequel to Ryan Coogler's 2018 film, the most recent MCU entry sees Shuri and the nation of Wakanda mourning T'Challa's death while also dealing with the arrival of Namor (Tenoch Huerta). The film, which acts as the final installment in Phase 4 of the MCU, has earned mostly positive reviews from audiences and critics for its strong performances and the ways in which it pays tribute to both T'Challa and Boseman.

With Shuri now officially the new Black Panther in the MCU, new fan art from @spdrmnkyxxiii on Instagram imagines T'Challa watching over his younger sister during her evolution in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The art features T'Challa in the Ancestral Plane, the parallel dimension first introduced in Coogler's original film where the soul is said to reside after death. Check out the moving fan art below:

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What's Next For Shuri In The MCU After Wakanda Forever?

Letitia Wright as Shuri holding the Black Panther helmet in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever sees Shuri not only become the Wakandan hero but also fully embrace her grief at the loss of her brother. This personal journey will allow Wright's character to serve more effectively as the new Black Panther, her feelings no longer clouded by feelings of rage or revenge. Although it's unclear what Phase 5 or Phase 6 MCU projects Shuri will appear in next, the character is clearly slated to play an important role moving forward, much like her late brother did during the events Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame after his debut outing in the MCU.

While it's possible that Shuri will appear briefly in projects in Phase 5, it's likely that the character's next significant role will be in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. The two upcoming Avengers movies are slated to bring the Multiverse Saga to a close and Jonathan Majors' Kang is expected to serve as the central villain in one or both films. With Kang slated to potentially be an even bigger threat than Josh Brolin's Thanos, the new team of Avengers will surely need Shuri's help in order to save humanity and defeat Majors' formidable villain.

Beyond her role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, it's also possible that another solo film could further explore Shuri's role as the new Wakandan hero. While Coogler doesn’t seem to have any concrete plans to revisit the franchise, producer Nate Moore has previously expressed that a third movie getting the green light will depend upon how audiences receive Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Considering the positive response thus far, things are definitely looking promising for another solo outing for the character. While it's unclear exactly what the future holds for Shuri as the new Black Panther, the character is poised to play a bigger role in the MCU than ever before.

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Source: @spdrmnkyxxiii/ Instagram

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